Scholarships What are scholarships Scholarships are one of the most attractive forms of financial aid because they are available to anyone and you don' t have to pay them back! Scholarships are also a missed opportunity for many students.Most students don't realize there are scholarships available to them that could finance a significant portion of their education. It takes some time and energy to find and apply for scholarships, but the hard work will most likely pay off. To some students and parents, the word 'scholarship' is just another one of those confusing college terms: student bans, tuition and fees, grants(助学金), and work study. Little do they realize that knowing more about the scholarship process could save them thousands of dollars when trying to cover the cost of their education. Scholarships come in a variety of forms, but are generally considered to be 'free money' for college. Unlike loans, scholarships do not have to be repaid to the scholarship provider. Some scholarships are awarded directly to the student in the form. of a check, while other scholarships are written out to the student's college or university. Several different types of providers issue scholarships: clubs and organizations, charitable foundations(慈善资金会), businesses, schools, universities, government agencies, and others. How do students find scholarships? Finding scholarships can be a very time-consuming process. Some students choose to look through pages and pages of award information in scholarship books or in files found at local libraries. But other students use reputable and accurate scholarship search services on the Internet to save time in the searching process. Using online resources is a good idea if the website offers updated, current data and some type of quality matching technology. Students can also ask their high school guidance counselors about any local or state awards that they may qualify for, and should be sure to contact the financial aid office at the college or university they plan to attend to learn if they qualify for any awards provided by the school. Finally, students should ask their parents and friends to be on 'scholarship alert' for them, always checking local newspapers and bulletin boards for local scholarship listings(清单). Who can get a scholarship The answer is quite simple, really. Every student who plans to attend an institution of higher education should search for and apply for scholarships. This applies to all students, including highschool students, non-traditional Students, current college students, graduate students, etc. It is a common misconception (误解) that scholarships arc only for straight(整齐的) A students. In reality, there are all types of scholarships for all types of students, including those with less than perfect academic records. Some scholarships are for athletes others are for students planning to study in particular fields and others for community service. Some scholarship providers just want to reward students for living in a certain city or state! Students also mistakenly believe that only college-bound high school seniors can apply for awards. Scholarships are available for all levels of college study, from freshman undergrads to graduate and PhD students. Now, some students have ideas about why they won't get scholarships. They think that there are no scholarships out there for students with less than outstanding grade point averages or with poor standardized test scores. They claim that their parents make too much money or that they won' t be attending ' non-traditional colleges.' They say that they are not minority students and aren't enrolled in a lot of extracurricular(课外活动)activities or involved in their communities. They even argue that they are not planning to attend college immediately after graduation, and so they won't be eligible(符合条件的)for any scholarship funding at all. The li